If you’ve been thinking about buying some dining room furniture or even a new dining room set and you have your heart set on a certain table, make sure that you are going to like the chairs as well.
It might be easy to fall in love with a dining room table that you see, but if the chairs aren’t very attractive or if they are uncomfortable, you are going to start to dislike your entire set very quickly, too late.
The best course of action is to try the chairs out first in the store if you have the chance. This will allow you to test drive them in person so that you know how comfortable they are and exactly how they feel when you sit in them.
If you find that you like the chairs and the table, then you can order the set. Most dining room furniture sets will come with between four and six chairs. If you plan to do some serious entertaining then you might want to see if you can order more of the chairs at the same time. You can keep them covered and in storage until you have need to use them. Having a few additional dining room chairs around is never a bad idea. If something were to happen to one of your chairs, you will have a replacement right on hand.
Of course, there might come a time a few years down the road when most of your chairs simply aren’t what they once were. Some may have torn cushions and others might have broken. If this happens to you, then you are going to have to buy some new chairs. You may find that the chairs you like are no longer available though. That means that you aren’t going to have a perfect match for your table. If your table is still in good shape and you don’t need a new one, you have two choices.
You can buy some new chairs of a different type to go with the ones that you still have. Or you can buy all new chairs and replace even the ones that are still in decent shape. For most people, the latter option of buying all new chairs is better. Even if you aren’t able to get the ones that match the table perfectly, you should be able to find something that is similar. If all of your chairs are of the same style, people probably won’t even know that they don’t “belong” to the table.
Here are some great styles for choosing the furniture for your dining room.
1. Side Chair
Our first design is the most common chair seen in kitchens and dining rooms throughout the world, the side chair. This is a standard dining chair without arms, and our wood frame example features an arched back and plain wood seat.
2. Parsons Chair
First created in the 1930’s, the original design sought to retain function and comfort while stripping away excess ornamentation and other historical influences that tended to dominate the furniture designs of the time. The end result was a simple chair with clean lines that would fit nicely into just about any area of the home.
3. Arm Chair
The arm chair features, as one would guess, arms, in addition to the traditional side chair design. Although the frame style can morph the way the arms appear on the chair, the most common design, as pictured here, attaches the arms to the back and seat via narrow pieces.
4. Upholstered
Upholstered seats are the most comfortable option, with a soft texture and cushioned bottom. Upholstered seats can be found on any and every type of frame, either matching or contrasting with the rest of the chair
5. Wood
Wood frame chairs often come unadorned with upholstery. Instead, they may sport a molded wood seat, for a more direct, minimal look, while still offering comfort and style
6. Metal
Metal seats most often appear on metal frame chairs with holistic designs. Our example chair, for instances, is entirely crafted from a single material, with the molded seat seamlessly rising from the frame.
7. Leather
Leather seat dining chairs are incredibly popular for good reason: they offer the comfort of a typical upholstered chair, with the rich sheen and luxurious quality that only leather can imbue.
8. Wicker
Wicker is a general definition for a type of woven fabric or synthetic material. It’s pliant, tough, and richly textured, and makes a great seating material.
9. Plastic
Plastic seating typically only arrives within a plastic frame, when it comes to dining chairs. These models can range from budget options all the way to ornate, crystalline constructions like our pictured example.
10. Wood
Dining chairs with wood frames are by far the most popular models you’ll find when shopping. The most traditional build material is also the most varying, offering a wide range of styles and shapes.
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